Boosting breast milk production

AS a nursing mother, especially when your dream is to breastfeed your child exclusively, your greatest fear may be not supplying enough milk to feed your baby. And while it may seem as if your body is betraying you, obstetrician-gynaecologist at ICON Medical Centre Dr Keisha Buchanan says you can do several things to boost your milk production.

“Breast milk is best for babies; it has the appropriate proportion of nutrients, the right temperature, is easily digested and hence will not cause stomach upsets. It also has antibodies that protect babies from infections,” Dr Buchanan said.

For these reasons it is generally recommended that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. However, this could be affected by a number of things, one being the demand for milk.

“Breast milk production is based on demand and supply — the higher the demand for milk, the higher the breast milk production. Factors such as supplementing feeding with formula decreases the breast milk output, as demand is lower. If output appears to be decreasing, it’s better to breastfeed for longer intervals,” Dr Buchanan explained.

She said that the general recommendation is that newborns be breastfed every two to three hours during the day and every three to four hours at night. In addition to this, she advised that breastfeeding must be done on demand.

“If the breast milk production is decreased, it’s better to breastfeed for longer. During each session, after the baby feeds from one breast, offer the other breast. In total, each session should last about 10 to 15 minutes on each breast, and breastfeeding should usually last 60 to 120 minutes. The longer breastfeeding occurs, the greater the output of the breast milk,” Dr Buchanan advised.

In order to boost your milk production you should:

Stay away from stress

Stress can be quite debilitating to the body and mind, and unfortunately, it also interferes with your baby’s food. According to Dr Buchanan, stress and anxiety will significantly decrease breast milk production since it may impede the flow of oxytocin – a hormone released into the bloodstream of the breastfeeding mother. To prevent this from happening, Dr Buchanan said that de-stressing by relaxation techniques and getting adequate sleep between feedings can improve milk production.

Think twice about using artificial nipples

Although this may seem like the surest way to calm down your fussy baby, it could actually work against milk production, Dr Buchanan disclosed. She said that when babies use pacifiers, nipple bottles and nipple shields, they find it harder to learn to latch on to the breast properly, which could result in a decrease in milk production since the baby will be less able to efficiently suck owing to nipple confusion.

Ensure that your child latches on properly

When your child latches on well, this will increase the milk flow. This means making sure the nipple is far back in baby’s mouth for him to latch on and compress the milk sinuses in the breast adequately to allow for good milk flow.

Feed the child breast milk exclusively

As noted earlier, the greater the demand, the greater the supply, so don’t feed your baby with formula for the first few months if you intend to keep up your milk supply. Of course, you sometimes have to consider cracked nipples which can discourage breastfeeding because of the associated pain. Therefore, try to treat cracked nipples early to help to prevent a decrease in the milk flow.

Avoid hormonal contraceptives

Nobody wants to have to deal with getting pregnant immediately after childbirth, so many women start taking contraceptives almost immediately. When choosing contraceptives, Dr Buchanan said that you should avoid those that contain oestrogen for the first six months, as these contraceptives can decrease breast milk quality and cause poor milk production.

Drink plenty water and eat well

You should always aim to drink the recommended eight glasses of water daily if you are a breastfeeding mother in order to ensure that you are always well hydrated. A properly fed and hydrated body can significantly improve breast milk production.

“It is important for breastfeeding mothers to have adequate calories. They need to consume 2,500 calories per day or more. Weight loss diets are discouraged, and taking prenatal vitamins until the baby is weaned is encouraged,” she advised.

Avoid extended periods of separation

You need to get back to work and run errands, but if you really want to boost your milk production, then you should avoid long periods of separation from your baby. Dr Buchanan notes that it is best for mother and baby to be very close, especially in the first three months of the child’s life.

Be on top of medical conditions

Some medical conditions such as hormonal disorders like thyroid disease, as well as retained placenta can cause decreased milk production even if you achieve balance in your diet and follow all other guidelines to boost milk supply. If you know that you have any of these conditions , then you should get treated by the respective specialist.